Collecting Characteristics for a Path Between IP End-Points Associated with a Radio Access Transport Network

1. A method, performed in a first radio base station in a radio access network, of collecting characteristics for a path between two IP end-points associated with a radio access transport network, the method comprising: receiving an IP address of at least one IP end-point associated with the radio access transport network to which the first radio base station is connected; sending a query to a node in the radio access transport network for at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end-points, wherein the two IP end-points comprise the at least one IP end-point, and the node routes traffic between the two IP end-points; receiving the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points; comparing the at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end points with at least one characteristic for a path between a second radio base station and an IP end point that is one of the two IP end points; and determining, based on the comparison, which of the first radio base station and the second radio base station should serve as a master base station that decides whether radio coordination features should be used.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two IP end-points are the first radio base station and the second radio base station.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two IP end-points are the first radio base station and a PDN-Gateway or a S/PDN-Gateway in a core network to which the radio access network is connected.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two IP end-points are the second radio base station and a PDN-Gateway or a S/PDN-Gateway in a core network to which the radio access network is connected are IP end-points.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises sending a second query to the second radio base station for the at least one characteristic, collected by the second radio base station, for the path between the second radio base station and the IP end-point that is one of the two IP end points.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio access network is an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) and the first radio base station is an Evolved Node B (eNodeB) in the E-UTRAN.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristics are any of: bandwidth, radio access transport network delay, congestion indication, jitter, buffer usage, and sync accuracy.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the sending a query for at least one characteristic comprises sending a query for multiple ones of bandwidth, radio access transport network delay, congestion indication, jitter, buffer, usage, and sync accuracy.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending a query comprises querying at least one further node in the radio access transport network.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the receiving the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points, receiving at least one update of the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending a query is performed by an Interface to a Routing System client in the first radio base station.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of a path between the two IP end-points comprises at least one characteristic of a single link in the radio access transport network.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of a path between the two IP end-points comprises at least one characteristic of a path segment of the entire path between the two IP end-points, wherein the path segment comprises several links in the radio access transport network.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending a query comprises querying multiple nodes in the radio access transport network for at least one characteristic for each of multiple different paths between the two IP end-points.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises based on the received at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points, deciding which category of radio coordination features to use, wherein the radio coordination features are categorized into different groups based on how tight of a coordination is required.

16. A first radio base station configured to collect characteristics for a path between two IP end-points associated with a radio access transport network, the first radio base station comprising a processor; and memory containing instructions executable by the processor whereby the first radio base station is operative to: receive an IP address of at least one IP end-point associated with the radio access transport network to which the first radio base station is connected; send a query to a node in the radio access transport network for at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end-points, wherein the two IP end-points comprise the at least one IP end-point, and the node routes traffic between the two IP end-points; receive the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points; compare the at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end points with at least one characteristic for a path between a second radio base station and an IP end point that is one of the two IP end points; and determine, based on the comparison, which of the first radio base station and the second radio base station should serve as a master base station that decides whether radio coordination features should be used.

17. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the two IP end-points are the first radio base station and the second radio base station.

18. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the two IP end-points are the first radio base station and a PDN-Gateway or a S/PDN-Gateway in a core network to which the radio access network is connected.

19. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the two IP end-points are the second radio base station and a PDN-Gateway or a S/PDN-Gateway in a core network to which the radio access network is connected.

20. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that the first radio base station is operative to send a query to the second radio base station for the at least one characteristic, collected by the second radio base station, for the path between the second radio base station and the IP end-point of the two IP end points.

21. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the radio access network is an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) and the first radio base station is an Evolved Node B (eNodeB) in the E-UTRAN.

22. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the characteristics for a path are any of: bandwidth, radio access transport network delay, congestion indication, jitter, buffer usage, and sync accuracy.

23. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that the first radio base station is further operative to send a query to at least one further node in the radio access transport network.

24. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that the first radio base station is further operative to receive at least one update of the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points.

25. The first radio base station of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that the first radio base station is further operative to send the query with an Interface to a Routing System client in the first radio base station.

26. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for collecting characteristics for a path between two IP end-points associated with a radio access transport network, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on a processor of a first radio base station, causes the first radio base station to: receive an IP address of at least one IP end-point associated with the radio access transport network to which the first radio base station is connected; send a query to a node in the radio access transport network for at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end-points, wherein the two IP end-points comprise the at least one IP end-point and the node routes traffic between the two IP end-points; receive the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points; compare the at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end points with at least one characteristic for a path between a second radio base station and an IP end point that is one of the two IP end points; and determine, based on the comparison, which of the first radio base station and the second radio base station should serve as a master base station that decides whether radio coordination features should be used.

27. A method, performed in in node that routes traffic between two IP end-points, for collecting characteristics for a path between the two IP end-points associated with a radio access transport network, the method comprising: receiving a query, from a first radio base station, for at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end-points associated with the radio access transport network to which the first radio base station is connected; determining the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points; and transmitting the at least one characteristic for the path to the first radio base station, wherein the first radio base station compares the at least one characteristic for a path with at least one characteristic for a path between a second radio base station and an IP end point that is one of the two IP end points; and determines, based on the comparison, which of the first radio base station and the second base station should serve as a master base station that decides whether radio coordination features should be used.

28. A node, that routes traffic between two IP end-points, configured to collect characteristics for a path between two IP end-points associated with a radio access transport network, the node comprising: a processor; memory containing instructions executable by the processor whereby the node is operative to: receive a query, from a first radio base station, for at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end-points associated with the radio access transport network to which the first radio base station is connected; determine the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points; and transmit the at least one characteristic for the path to the first radio base station, wherein the first radio base station compares the at least one characteristic for a path with at least one characteristic for a path between a second radio base station and an IP end point that is one of the two IP end points; and determines, based on the comparison, which of the first radio base station and the second base station should serve as a master base station that decides whether radio coordination features should be used.

29. The node of claim 28 , wherein the instructions are such that the node is further operative to run an Interface to a Routing System agent.

30. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for collecting characteristics for a path between two IP end-points associated with a radio access transport network, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on a processor of a node that routes traffic between the two IP end-points, causes the node to: receive a query, from a first radio base station, for at least one characteristic for a path between the two IP end-points associated with the radio access transport network to which the first radio base station is connected; determine the at least one characteristic for the path between the two IP end-points; and transmit the at least one characteristic for the path to the first radio base station, wherein the first radio base station compares the at least one characteristic for a path with at least one characteristic for a path between a second radio base station and an IP end point that is one of the two IP end points; and determines, based on the comparison, which of the first radio base station and the second base station should serve as a master base station that decides whether radio coordination features should be used.